🔗 Share this article

The British racing team and F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this title fight between Norris & Oscar Piastri being decided on the track and without reference to team orders as the championship finale begins at the COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout prompts internal strain

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly more than aware of the historical context regarding his retort toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature to those that defined Senna's iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for just going an inside move through an opening then you don't belong in Formula One,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

His comment seemed to echo Senna’s “Should you stop attempting an available gap which is there then you cease to be a racing driver” defence he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into Alain Prost in Japan back in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague as he went through. This incident was a result of him clipping the Red Bull driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris ought to be told to return the position he gained. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that in any cases of contention, both will promptly appeal to the team to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race against each other and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes misfortune, strategy and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and at what point their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach to a situation where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes boss Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I guess the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For spectators, during this dual battle, getting interesting will likely be appreciated as an on-track confrontation instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Especially since for F1 the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making appropriate choices for their interests and it has paid off. They secured their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (though a great achievement overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against squad control

Yet having drivers in a championship fight appealing to the team to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition ought to be determined on track. Luck and destiny will play their part, yet preferable to allow them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that each contentious incident will be pored over by the squad to determine if they need to intervene and subsequently resolved later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Previously, after the team made their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to see a title constantly disputed because it may be considered that fairness attempts were unequal. When asked if he felt the team had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri said that they did, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several challenging moments and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he said after Singapore. “However finally it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. The team has minimal wriggle room left to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply close the books and withdraw from the fray.